"A Very Positive Contribution"

We have used an Electronic Chart System for many years.  This spring we were outfitted with an AIS, which communicates with the Electronic Chart System.  The system displays the AIS target, vector, and ship name on the chart display, along with the radar target and vector.

We love it.

That being said, the Minimum Keyboard Display alone is not nearly as useful as a unit linked to a chart type display.  As an example, we were recently operating in the South China Sea approaches to Singapore.  We had nearly a hundred ships on AIS.  Trying to sort all of those ships out on a small, text based display would have been very difficult.

AIS use has virtually eliminated the "Ship on my port bow" VHF radio calls.  Now, when ships have traffic issues, they call the ship by name.  I believe that the use of AIS has reduced clutter on channel 16 VHF.  It should also reduce the hazard of a ship thinking a meeting arrangement has been agreed with a ship, only to find out that they were talking to a different ship than they thought.

Ships are obviously still in the learning process with AIS.  We see many ships with no data entered, or incorrect data.  One major container liner was northeast bound from Singapore to Hong Kong, showing a heading about 90 degrees out from her course made good, at 26 knots.  Some ships do not have name and other information entered, only an MMSI.  Others forget to update their information after leaving port, and show Moored, when they are making way.

There are fewer problems with AIS introduction than with GMDSS.  If ships don't have the system, don't turn it on, or have incorrect data, they are not raising worldwide alarms, as did new GMDSS users.  We routinely see ships at 50 miles, long before radar will see them.  Even more important, ships show up entering and leaving port, around bends, so that the conning officer has a better picture of traffic he will be facing on the passage to or from the berth.

AIS data, when properly input, can be very valuable, since it is real time.  You can see a ship turning long before her APRA detects a turn.  Of course, garbage in, garbage out applies.  Watch officers have to recognize that ships may be displaying erroneous information, either on purpose, or more likely, through entry errors.

That being said, I don't yet see a viable scenario for the AIS assisted collision.  The MKD displays the ship's data.  Our chart system displays the ship's true motion, superimposed over the radar data.  As long as the data is used as an aid to navigation, fallible like any other data we use, I think AIS makes a very positive contribution.